The nexus between governance and peace and security is evident within the institutional framework of the African Union (AU). The AU has a broad mandate that includes the overall responsibilities of promoting peace and security and good governance in Africa. Peace and security issues often interlock with those of governance, and in many respects, governance issues are the root causes of most threats to peace and security. Accordingly, the APRM has been positioned as an early warning tool for conflict prevention on the continent because it contributes to addressing some of the structural root causes of conflicts related to governance.
ACCORD, as a key conflict resolution organisation on the continent, and the APRM have continued their partnership and as such held strategic meetings at the ACCORD Office in Durban, on 15 and 16 January 2024. The purpose of these meetings was to review the partnership and discuss areas of further collaboration. The outcome of these meetings was the renewal of the Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) between the two partners. Prof Eddy Maloka, CEO of the APRM, Adv. Vasu Gounden, Founder and Executive Director of ACCORD were present in the meetings, along with other staff from both organisations.
One of the significant areas of collaboration between the two organisations has been the successful co-hosting of the First, Second and Third Joint Retreats between the Peace and Security Council (PSC) and APRM in the years 2021 to 2023, respectively. The annual APRM-PSC Joint Retreats aim to strengthen conflict prevention mechanisms by enhancing the APRM’s role in anticipating crises and conflicts from a governance perspective. The Joint Retreats provide a platform to exchange views and engage on the various APRM country review reports undertaken to enhance early warning strategies and efforts aimed at addressing root causes of conflict on the continent. The partnership between ACCORD and the APRM will continue to be key, as Africa continues to face various challenges related to the promotion of democracy and good governance, as well as the maintenance of peace, security and stability. This situation requires strong sustained efforts by both partners to support the work conducted by the PSC to address peace and security challenges. Thus, these meetings fulfil ACCORD’s strategic objectives, towards enhancing the institutional responses of the AU and RECs to complex conflicts; and contributing to evidence-based analysis, policy support and knowledge to respond to complex conflicts.
